Illustrator: David Lasky

Publisher:

Date: September 2, 2014

# of pages: 248

Grade level: 3-7

Theme: Confidence

Literary Elements

Main character: Cece

Setting: School, doctors office

Plot: A young girl who was 4 years old when she was diagnosed with meningitis which caused her to lose her hearing. This book shows her journey through this.

Artistic Media: Cartoon/Comic drawing

Personal Connection: I thought that the graphic novel El Deafo was a really good novel with engaging and beautifully drawn illustrations. I think El Deafo is a novel where people reading it are able to connect in some way with it. The idea that it is based on lived experience through Cece. I believe that this story shows us how we all have our individual weaknesses and must embrace them as well as accepting differences. As for students who are hard of hearing or deaf, it allows for them to help build confidence with their hearing loss. 

Curricular Connections: English, art, health

Illustrator:

Publisher: HarperCollins

Date: February 22, 2011

# of Pages: 260

Grade Level: 3-7

Theme: Friendship, Courage

Artistic Media: N/A

Main Characters: Kim Ha, Mother, Brother, Father

Setting: Vietnam, Alabama

Plot: A young girl named Kim finds herself in the middle of a war called the Vietnam War. During this time, her father goes missing. She goes to the United States with the rest of her family. It gives us the experience in this book as it takes us on the journey of her new life in a completely different country.

Personal Reflections

This book was really inspiring to me. I remember reading this in middle school but couldn't remember what it was about which made me want to read it again. I have a family friend who went through a situation like this so it feels like I am able to make a deep connection.

Curricular Connections: This book would be good in a history class where students are learning about war.

Publisher: Harper and Row

Date: 1963

Number of pages: 48

Grade level: Preschool -3

Artistic Media: Watercolor and Gouache

Genre: Fantasy

Theme: Fantasy, home

Summary: Max the main character of this story gets sent to his room after misbehaving where he then spends time in his room and ends up putting a wolf costume on. It then leads for him to go into imagination where he finds himself in a mysterious island with creatures who call themselves "wild things".

Personal Connection: This book makes me think back to my imagination when I often times would pretend like I was in different worlds.

Publisher: Cuento De Luz 2019

Pages: 29

Genre: Children's Fiction, Picture Book

Media: Painting and Drawing

Theme: Staying honest, and forgetting opinions of others

Grade level: 1-5

Plot: This book gives you an experience to accept who you are.

Main characters: Carmelo and Pistachio

Setting: Outside

Personal Response: This book is very different but unique and it makes me like it that much more. All the illustrations and characters really seem to make the book come to life. I think this book is great for children to read as it gives a great message.

Publisher: Versify 

Date: 2019

Grade Level: K-3 

# of pages: 48

Theme: The life of culture

Genre: Fiction, picture book

Topic: Lobo and his dog exploring the market 

 Plot: Lobo and his dog, Bernabe, make their way through the excitement of a market. As they are in the Market they drop off packages and pick up packages. They come to their last stop, where Lobo has the chance to meet his favorite wrestler, El Toro. 

Authors background: Raul the Third is a award-winning illustrator, author, and artist who lives in Boston. The work provides for children is based on Mexican-American experience and his memories from growing up in Texas, and Mexico. 

Artistic Media: For his illustrations, he they were created digitally with a ballpoint pen as well as drawing. Many of his illustrations are fun and bright colored. His illustrations make the book come to life. 

Personal Response: This book reminds me of my childhood with my grandma. I loved the illustrations in this book as well. I feel as if this book had a very positive tone to it. I like how the author based this book off of his experience and memories.

Curricular Connection: This book could be used in all curricular's. A lesson about culture is where this book could come into play.

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Date: 2022

Pages: 32

Grade Level: Preschool-2nd Grade

Genre: fiction

Theme: Culture, Holidays, Family

Main characters:

Summary: There is a family that celebrates a holiday called “Day of the Dead” to honor their family members who have passed away. These celebration consist of eating food, activities, and spending time with everyone together. A young girl hears about the stories of the ones who have passed away and learns that she is alike with a lot of them.

Curricular Connection: I find this book connecting to a history and social studies. This book would allow for students to learn about different backgrounds and their cultures as well as all the history behind it.

Illustrator: David Grove

Publisher: Puffin Books

Date: September 1, 1997

# of pages: 208 pages

Grade level: 7-8 grade

Genre: Young adult fiction

Theme: Life's struggles, adversity

Topic: This book is about the life of a 14-year-old boy who tells the story and his struggles that he faces in society where he feels that he is a outsider.

Artistic media: N/A

Main character: Ponyboy Curtis, Sodapop Curtis, and Darrel Curtis

Setting: Oklahoma

Personal Response: This book is one of my favorite books I have read. The author changed the way people look at young adult literature. When reading this book it almost feels as if I am living in it. I am able to make connections to how the world is now.

Curricular Connections: This book would be good when teaching students about right and wrong through reading this book.

Illustrator: Luke Flowers

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Date: July 4, 2023

Pages: 32

Ages: 4-8

Genre: Fiction, children literature

Theme: Inclusion

Artistic Media:

Characters: Mer-queen, dolphins

Setting: Underwater

Plot: On a day called Mermaid day, the queen decides to throw a party at her castles. She spends time decorating and invites all kind to come to this party to celebrate.

Personal Response: I think this book is a fun bedtime story for children. I love the illustrations in this book as they are very colorful. The plot of this book is inspiring because it shows the importance of inclusion and is very heartwarming. After reading it, I was able to tell my mom to get it for my little sister.

Curricular Connections: This book would be ideal for bedtime but I do think it could be used in a class to teach students about inclusion and diversity.

Illustrator: Rafeal Lopez

Published Date: August 28, 2018

Publisher:Nancy Paulsen Books

Grade Level: K-3rd

Genre: Realistic Fiction/picture book

Theme: Being brave

Pages:32

Artistic Media: Drawing/illustrations

Main characters: Angelina & Maisha

Setting: Classroom, backgrounds, School

Plot: This book is about a girl named Angelina who feels very different compared to her new classmates because of the background she comes from. Towards the end of the book she starts opening up to find out others are just like her.

Personal Response: I think this book is one that all audiences should read. The story is one that is easy to connect to and I feel like all readers are able to relate to it in some aspect of their life.

Curricular Connections: This book provides a way to think about diversity. I think this book could be used in a lot of classes.

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Date: February 14, 2012

# of pages: 330

Grade level: 3-7

Genre: Children's literature, Fiction

Themes: Kindness, Being yourself

Summary: This novel tells the story of a young boy named August Pullman who's face looks different than others because he was born with deformities.

Main characters: August, Pullman family

Setting: New York City

Artistic Media: N/A

Personal Response: I love this book for the reason that it sends an important message. The story teaches us readers to be yourself as well as being a better person overall. I think the plot of this book is very well done.

Curricular Connections: I think this book crosses a lot of different curricular connections of where it could be used. Such as in language arts, and social studies.

Illustrator: Bruce Degen

Date: March 1, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic Press, First Edition

Genre: Fiction

Themes: Climate Change and Global Warming

Grade level: 2-5

# of pages: 48

Summary: This book is about where a teacher takes a group of children who were learning about global warming and climate change. She takes them on a bus plane where they learn about earth and how it all works.

Setting: Bus, plane

Main characters: Ms. Frizzle, the students

Personal Response: I think this book offers a great perspective of science in a way that young readers will be able to understand. The illustrations in this book are colorful and bright.

Curricular Connections: This book would be perfect in a science class where students are learning about global warming and climate change.

Author: Paul Fleishman 

Illustrator: Julie Pushkis

Date: 2007

Publisher: Henry Holt Company 

Type of Literature: Fairy Tale

Grade: Pre-K to 4th grade

Number of pages: #32

Plot: This book tells a Cinderella story but with a bit of a twist. It is seen through the eyes of different countries around the world. As it takes us through the different countries it brings up all sorts of different cultures throughout each Cinderella. 

Main Characters: All the Cinderella’s

Personal response: This book gave such a good twist to the original Cinderella. I thought it was really cool that it took me as a reader through a bunch of different countries.

Curricular Connections: History

Author: Ken Mochizuki

The title of this book automatically had me wanting to know more about it. During my childhood, I vividly remember learning about the Japanese Interment Camps after the Pearl Harbor attack happened. I loved that this book was told from the perspective of a young boy. It made it more personal which made me even more engaged. The boy’s father thought that their camp needed a baseball field. The game of baseball gave all the people something to look forward and do with one another.

This book shows a great deal of values while it is based on true events through a personal perspective. I think students would be able to take a lot of lessons from it as it is about a young boy who overcomes a lot of things like racism to become a baseball player. This book shows values such as self-respect, dignity and empathy.

Visual: I decided to draw a baseball field with people playing it within the internment camp. I decided to draw bar wire fence because I feel that it plays a huge meaning within this book. Then I drew a baseball to symbolize the resilience and hope they carry. The flames behind the baseball represent all the injustice and racism.

Effectiveness: The representation activity allows for students to actively develop a deeper understanding based on what they have read by using creativity. This activity can teach students how to visualize. When drawing after reading text, readers are able to draw the important characters, details, places, and events by creating a image.

Illustrator: Ellen Raskin

Publisher: Square Fish

Publication Date: 1/1/1962

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction

Theme: power of love

Grade level: 6th-8th grade

Pages: 218 pages

Summary: This book tells a story of a young girl named Meg who goes through time and space with her brother. Her father is a scientist where they travel to rescue him.

Title: The Kissing Hand

Date: August 15, 2007

Illustrator: Ruth E Harper and Nancy M Leak

# of pages: 32

Grade level: 2 to 1st grade

Genre: Fiction

Theme: separation anxiety

Summary: This heartwarming book is about the anxiety that some children have when they are gone from their parents when going to school. Chester one of the main characters in this story explains how he didn’t want to go to school but that’s when his mother explained about the kissing hand to give him courage.

Illustrator: Brad Montague and Kristi Montague

Genre: Children’s literature and Fiction

# of pages: 32

Age level: 4-8 years

Date: May 18, 2021

Theme: Respect, opening yourself up

Summary: This story is about a circle. It takes on the journey of how during young times we have a very small circle but as we grow and continue to build relationships our circle gets bigger.

Illustrator: Shel Silverstein

Publisher: Harper Collins

# of pages: 64

Date: October 7, 1964

Grade level: 2nd to 3rd

Genre: Children’s book, Fiction

Theme: The joy of giving

Summary: This book is about a tree and a young boy who share a friendship. With time he comes back as an old man with still finding himself next to the same tree.

Illustrator: Janen Cain

Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Date: January 1, 2005

# of pages: 18

Grade level: 2-4 years

Genre: Picture book, Child’s book

Theme: emotions and how to identify them

Summary: This short story uses colorful and detailed pictures to really capture children’s attention. It tells the story of encouraging children to make connections with the emotions they are feeling.

Illustrator: Anne Wilsdorf

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

Date: 2008

# of pages: 32

Theme: The best writing comes from the heart

Genre: Fiction, child’s literature

Summary: In this story a writing contest happens and a young girl wants to take the challenge to win the prize. She asks family members and friends about what makes a good story and they end up telling her the best writing comes from the heart.

Personal Connection: I think at all times we feel stuck with writing at times. As for myself, I feel this way constantly and so being able to read this was like a reminder for myself.

Illustrator: Marcus Pfister

Genre: Children’s literature, picture book, Fiction

# of pages: 32

Theme: Sharing, happiness

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Date: 1992

Age: Infant to 3 years

Summary: This book is about a beautiful and prideful fish. He carries a lot of pride where he then catches himself very lonely. With time he realizes that he can’t get friends by the way he looks so he decides to share his glitter scales to other fish in the sea.

Personal Connection: This is a book that I remember reading as a child and wanted to read it again. I think it is so important to remember to be kind and share with others.

Illustrator: Raina Telgemeier

Title: Smile

Date: February 2010

# of pages: 224

Grade level: 2nd-5th grade

Genre: Graphic novel

Theme: Loving just who you are

Summary: This book tells the story of a girl named Raina who has to deal with the ups and downs that come her way as a teenager.

Personal response to the book: I personally felt like I was able to really connect with Raina. I loved that this book explores the themes of friendship and self-esteem.

Curricular connections:

Publisher: HarperCollins

Date: 2012

Genre: Children’s literature

# of pages: 336

Grade level: 5-8th

Setting: Top of Mall

Summary: A silverback gorilla named Ivan who finds himself locked up in the top of a big mall. He then ends up meeting a little elephant named Ruby where he then finds himself wanting to escape. Ivan begins to paint in attempt to get humans attention.

Personal Response: This book is so heartwarming and when reading it, I feel very engaged.

Curricular Connections:

Illustrator: Sophie Blackall

Genre: Children’s literature, Fiction

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Date: April 19th, 2007

# of pages: 120 pages

Grade level: 1-5th grade.

Theme: Navigating through ups and downs

Summary: Two girls who felt like they would never like each but at the end they become best friends.

Personal Response:

Curricular Connections:

Illustrator: Quentin Blake

Publisher: Viking

# of pages: 240

Grade level: 3-7

Date: October 1, 1988

Theme: Education, family and the importance of it.

Summary: This book is about a girl named Matilda who loves reading but she deals with a cruel family.

Personal Response: This book and the movie of it is one of my favorites. I love the main character Matilda because she never seems to give up and is always standing up for what she knows is right.

Curricular Connections:

Date: November 7, 2017

Publisher: Holiday House

Genre: Biography, Children’s literature, picture book

Themes: U.S. History, Leadership

Grade Level: Preschool-3rd grade

# of pages: 32 pages

Summary: This book tells the story of the women named Harriet Tubman by going through her life as an older woman to a young child.

Personal Responses: I remember reading this book as a read aloud in my third-grade classroom. It was fun to be able to reread it and understand it more in depth.

Curricular Connections:

Illustrations: Christopher Weyant

Grade level: Preschool to 2nd

# of pages: 32

Publisher: Two Lions

Date: August 5, 2104

Theme: We are all different, loving people the way they are

Summary: This child’s book is about two creatures who struggle to figure out who is bigger and who is smaller until people arrive and open their eyes.

Personal Response: I love that this book because of the colorful and well done illustrations. I like the message of this book that it can give children and how it gives opportunities for discussions about different perspectives.

Curricular Connections:

Date: August 29, 2017

Publisher: Starscape

Number of pages: 256

Grade level: 3-7

Artistic media: Text

Genre: Children's literature

Theme: Stand up for what you think is right

Summary: A girl is upset when one of her favorite books gets banned and then with time, she finds that others are too. She ends up starting a little library in her locker where she gave other students for them to read as well. She then wants to do something about this and has a PTA meeting.

Personal Connection: I like the plot of this book and how the main character carries herself throughout the whole book.

Curricular Connection:

Illustrator: Ray Cruz

Publisher: Atheneum Books

Date: 1972

Number of pages: 32

Grade level: 4-6

Genre: realistic fiction

Artistic media: ink and pen

Theme: Bad days happen to everyone

Summary: A boy with the name of Alexander wakes up one day and deals with a lot of challenges throughout the day and then later learns that bad days happen to everyone.

Personal Response:

Curricular Connection:

Illustrator: Dr. Suess

Date: January 22, 1990

Publisher: Random House

# of pages: 56

Type of Literature: Children's literature

Themes: Keep pushing always! There will be ups and downs.

Grade level: 3 and above.

Summary: This book is a short story of showing and inspiring kids to keep going even when they might hit some bumps in the road. It touches on trying your best always too.

Personal Response:

Curricular Connection:

Illustrator: Molly Idle

Date: October 27th, 2020

# of pages: 32

Genre: Childrens literature

Theme: The importance of believing in yourself

Grade level: Pre K to 1st grade

Summary: This book is for young children and gives readers the sense that anything is possible! Throughout the book it shows a lot of positivity for readers.

Personal Connection:

Curricular Connection:

Publisher: Harper-Festival

Date: 1/23/2007

# of pages: 30

Grade level: Pre-2nd.

Genre: Childrens Literature

Summary: This children's novel is about a bunny who at night says goodnight to objects and creatures. Great bedtime book.

Personal Response:

Curricular Connections:

Publisher: Eric Carle

Date: March 23, 1994

Reading age: 1-3 years

# of pages: 26 pages

Theme: Growth

Summary: It is about a hungry caterpillar and eats a large number of different foods before he turns into a butterfly.

Personal Response: I love the illustrations within this book, and it really makes it come to life.

Curricular Connection: This book is a great book for young readers when learning about how a butterfly is made.

Publisher: Firefly Books

Date: 10/1/1995

# of pages: 32

Reading age: Infant and up

Themes: Importance of love

Summary: This story is about a mother who sings a lullaby to her son throughout stages of his life.

Personal Response: This is a book that my mom used to read to me every night before I went to bed and have always had it since.

Curricular Connections: This is a great bedtime story for children.

Illustrator: Kelly DiPucchio

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

# of pages: 32 pages

Grade Level: K-3

Date: April 20, 2010

Theme: Keeping open mind, friendship

Summary: Two girls with the name of Lily and Salma are best friends where they like the same things but then some differences end up coming up.

Personal Response:

Curricular Connections:

Illustrator: Khoa Le

Publisher: Harper Collins

Date: 10/26/2023

# of pages: 40 pages

Grade Level: Preschool to 3rd grade.

Summary: There are six kids in this story where all of them celebrate each of their names, and cultures. This book in a unique way celebrates the beauty of each name along with their culture.

Personal Response: I love that this book touches on cultures and the celebration of diversity.

Curricular Connections: This would be a good book to read to students on a day learning about cultures and diversity.

Illustrator: David Shannon

Date: March 1, 1998

Publisher: The Blue Sky Press

Reading age: Pre- 3rd grade

Theme: Ethics

# of pages: 32

Summary: A girl named Camilia develops a case of stripes because she would not eat lima beans. She loves the lima beans, but other kids make fun of her for it. This is a great story for children to remember to always be yourself.

Personal Response: I think this book has such a great message for kids to remind them to always be themselves and not to change for anyone.

Curricular Connections: